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Shakedown: Hawaii Review


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1658923457_ShakedownHawaiilogo.png.d283c6a7d07b1f5baaf92b5799393f5f.pngFans of pixel-graphic mayhem rejoice: Brian Provinciano's follow up to the smash hit Retro City Rampage is now available and promises just as much retro style action, this time with a 16-bit art style bump. Shakedown: Hawaii, from one-man developer Vblank Entertainment, retains many of its predecessor's best features, most notably the pure fun of just wreaking havoc whether on foot, in a car, or even in a speedboat. And Shakedown: Hawaii proves that formula just doesn't get old.
 
Shakedown: Hawaii starts you off with a pretty unconventional protagonist. You play as an aging CEO who has lost touch with the modern world: your classic business ventures are losing ground in the face of online shopping, video streaming, and health food concerns. But with a little business ingenuity—which includes a massive supply of weapons and a willingness to shakedown every business on the island for protection money—you might be able to turn your fortunes around and take control of the entire island. It's a bit of a shame that this game shakes off the nonstop pop culture reference extravaganza that characterized Retro City Rampage, but Shakedown: Hawaii is chock full of humor all the same. The whole premise of the story allows for some scathing satire of modern business practices—everything from misleading marketing to loot boxes is made fun of by way of our protagonist's reckless pursuit of the almighty dollar. It's hilarious (and a bit depressing when you remember there are actually CEOs like this, albeit with fewer murderous crime sprees…probably) and allows for tons of story mission opportunities as you dip into various industries and business ventures. If anything the game might be a little too ambitious in its scope though, as the two other playable characters—the CEO's slacker son and a hired "fixer" that takes care of problems overseas—come off a bit half-baked, but that's a small concern when you're building your business empire one bullet at a time.
 
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Much like Retro City Rampage, Shakedown: Hawaii feels like the perfect distillation of the Grand Theft Auto formula, i.e. stealing cars, shooting passers-by, and generally being a huge menace to society. Letting loose with a little mayhem is always fun and Shakedown: Hawaii does a fantastic job of just letting you do it. Stealing cars is simple, driving is incredibly smooth thanks to hyper-responsive controls (no need to perfect your K-turn here, just tilt the control stick in the other direction and be on your way), just about everything is destructible so when you're driving around you don't have to worry about avoiding trees or fences—even escaping the cops is pretty easy. There is a solid selection of firearms to choose from (including a weaponized hair dryer) and aiming is easy with a dual-stick set-up. This game nails the sense of freedom that makes open world games so much fun and gives you a charming playground to mess with.
 
Of course, as the CEO of a major corporation your day isn't just shoot this, drive that all the time. You're also in charge of acquiring property around the island and leveraging the modest capital your business currently has into a multi-million dollar empire. It may sound like a complete 180 compared to the chaotic run-and-gun side of the gameplay, but managing your real estate holdings is quite addictive in its own way. Just ask anyone that enjoys resource management or sim games: there's an incredibly satisfying loop of gradually building up your holdings and amassing more and more wealth (which is, again, perhaps the game getting a little too realistic with its portrayal of business moguls). Saving up your money to buy that valuable hotel which will in turn provide you even more money is an addictive process, and the cash in Shakedown: Hawaii adds up pretty quickly, so you won't be wallowing in a sub-million dollar company for long. The game also finds the perfect meeting point between the two halves of its gameplay (as well as the source for the game's title): by shaking down small business for protection money you'll be able to buy them outright, gradually expanding your control over the island's commerce. The allure of making money is ever-present in Shakedown: Hawaii and makes for a perfectly addictive crime spree experience.
 
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With an entire island to explore, including neighborhood variations like a commercial district, residential area, beachfront, etc., as well as over one hundred story missions, there's plenty to do in Shakedown: Hawaii. That being said the game also isn't too long—a good ten hours or so will see you through everything, including a handful of side quests and arcade-style high score challenges. Nothing about the game feels short while you're playing though, especially because the addictive nature of expanding your business means you'll always be on the prowl for a new hostile takeover. And even if some of the story missions end up feeling repetitive by the end (e.g. go to this location and shoot everyone there), every minute with Shakedown: Hawaii feels like time well spent.
 

The presentation in Shakedown: Hawaii feels like the natural evolution of Retro City Rampage. There's still the delightfully retro pixel aesthetic to enjoy, but with the leap to 16-bit details the environments are even more vibrant and detailed (though character sprites are still adorably tiny) and developer Vblank makes the most of this distinctive style. The soundtrack by Matt Creamer deserves special mention too as the poppy, electronic tunes provide the perfect driving beat for the CEO's seemingly cocaine-fueled insane antics. The pop culture references may have been dropped from the game's writing but the audio still sounds deliciously 80s, which is perfect for the story of a CEO whose business ideas seem to have stalled in that decade.

 

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You might not expect a frenetic action game to blend so well with a business management sim, but Shakedown: Hawaii makes it work beautifully. The action is wild and satisfying thanks to sharp controls and an emphasis on chaotic fun over limiting realism, and the property management half of the game is shockingly addictive. Fans of Retro City Rampage will love stepping into this kind of pixelated world once again, while newcomers should appreciate the inventive blend of genres.
 
Rating: 8 out of 10 Shakedowns
 
Review copy provided by publisher
 
Shakedown Hawaii is now available on the Switch eShop for $19.99.
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5 hours ago, avalonknight said:

From a technically standpoint, especially the 3DS version, I just have to share this again. (Timestamp: 53:30. TL,DL: The game originally ran 60FPS on N3DS, but 30FPS on the original 3DS. Since he wanted it run at 60 on both, he rewrote the graphics renderer just so it can.)

 

 

What Brian Provinciano has done as a one-man developer for both this and Retro City Rampage is pretty incredible. The 3DS version isn't out yet but it sounds like it should be totally comparable to the console versions!

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